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Friday, August 28, 2009

International Congress of Mathematical Sciences (July 14, 1975)

The Stamp is vertical in format. A blue colour globe composed of figures in Urdu and English (in white) representing years, appear at the top centre of the stamp against a vignetted background of golden colour. The globe is supported by a green colour symbol (Arabic sign) which is the Algebraic Expression representing invention and contribution of Arabs to Mathematical Sciences. This expres-sion is equivalent to “X” of Algebra in English. The wording “International Congress of Mathematical Sciences” alongwith “Karachi, July 14-20, 1975” appears at the bottom of stamp in Red colour. The denomination figure ‘2Op’ appears in the top left corner and the word “Postage” in the top right corner in black. “PAKISTAN” in Urdu and English appears in black on either side of figure (Arabic sign) near the edges of the stamp. On the occasion of the International Congress of Mathematical Sciences being held in Pakistan from July 14th thru’ July 20th, 1975, the Pakistan Post Office is issu-ing a commemorative stamp. This International Congress of Mathe-matical Sciences is the first ever held in Pakistan and is sponsored jointly by the Pakistan Mathematical Association and the Karachi Mathematical Association under the patronage of the Ministry of Education Government of Pakistan, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and the Hamdard National Foundation, Pakistan. It is unlikely that an adequate history of the evolution of mathematics will ever be written. Mathematics is often associated with astronomy, physics and other branches of natural science, yet in fact it is the language of science in a deep sense. It is an indispensable medium by which and within which science expresses, formulates, con-tinues and communicates itself. This is especially true in the present highly scienti-fic and technological age where the rate of progress in all fields of science is so fast, that it is said that the number of researches, discoveries and inventions of the current century far exceed the total researches of all the previous centuries. The necessity of holding a conference was felt for a long time in the mathematical circles of the country. A couple of confer-ences on a much smaller scale and with limited objectives were organised in - the last decade, and the success of these con-ferences encouraged the organizers to bold the international conference. It would be a tragedy that while the nation is addressing itself for the great leap forward in all walks of liIe, the mathematicians of the country should fail to make their full contribution and play the role assigned to them. The known history of mathematics goes as far back as 6000 BC Among the out-standing luminaries who have contributed to the progress and development of mathe-matical science the following names stand out significantly! Pythagoras, Archimedes, Euclid, Zeno, Ptolemy, AI-Farabi, Al-Khayyam, AI-Razi, A1-Khawarazmt, Al-Haitham, AI-Biruni, Al-Khazin, Thabit bin Qurrah, Al-Battani, Aryabhata, Bhojadeva, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Fermat, Descartes, Newton, Leibniz, Legcndre, Cantor, Gauss, Srinivasa-Ramanjan, Hardy, Landau, Brioschi and lastly Einstein. With the ever-increasing use of the exist-ing mathematical theories in explaining and analyzing new researches in scientific fields, the need is acutely felt of finding new mathematical techniques so as to be able to construct perfect numerical models of the complex problems of these sciences. It is now the job of the present generation of mathematicians to make a breakthrough by developing new techniques keeping in view the requirements and needs of the modern sciences. The main objectives of the Congress are: (1) To help scholars in Pakistan to acquaint themselves with the latest advancements in the field of mathe-matics and thus to encourage them in their own research work; (2) To study the history and progress of mathematics throughout the centu-ries; and (3) To focus attention on the works of scholars from Central Asia during the period from the 9th to the 13th cen-tury in the field of mathematics. The Congress, among other things, will provide opportunities to mathematicians to discuss and exchange ideas on the above mentioned topics and other equally import-ant matters. It will also help our mathematicians to come in dose contact with some of the leading mathematicians of the world and be benefited by their knowledge and experience. One of the main aims of the Congress is to bring home the idea and necessity of holding such meets at least every five years, and to hold annual conferences on an all-Pakistan basis. Only through such gatherings will it be possible to raise the standard of mathematics in the country. This, in turn, will raise the stan-dard of other natural sciences, such as physics and astronomy. The Congress will introduce these prob-lems to all our fellow countrymen who count, specially the Government. The need of the hour is to provide more and more facilities to research workers in the various fields of mathematical sciences. Lastly the Congress will address itself to highlighting the mathematical works of the Central Asian Scholars during the period from 9th to the 13th century-a study which forms part of the Central Asian Studies Project of UNESCO-and will also devote itself to bringing to light the great achievements of our illustrious ancestors. The word Algebra is a constant reminder and a living monument to the contribution of Muslims to mathematics.